I think MDianna pretty much nailed it. You can look at it this way, it sucks that a plane crashed, and that people are dead and dying, but if you become a victim yourself, you will not be able to help anybody. The goal is to always return home safely to your family at the end of the day. That is your number one responsibility - to always keep yourself safe.

The rule of thumb when dealing with any hazardous materials incident (a smoking fuselage would qualify) is: "if you can't cover up the scene by simply holding up your thumb, you are too close" - hence the rule (of thumb) Oh, and you want to be UPWIND, NOT downwind (as someone mistakenly said earlier).

Only trained HAZMAT personnel and/or firefighters with turnout gear should be involved in extricating survivors from a smoking aircraft. Emergency Responders should maintain a safe distance, and be prepared to apply quick life saving first aid as necessary (think ABC), and otherwise load and go.

Triage is hard. You have to spend less than 60 seconds on each person. If they can't breathe on their own, you slip in an OPA, reposition their head and maybe give a rescue breath (with a PVM) then move on. You can learn more by taking a START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) course.

I'd suggest that everyone take at least an advanced first aid class with CPR. If you have the time, consider becoming an EMT-B. I am a volunteer firefighter and first responder/EMT-B myself, and it is very rewarding.